1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a suitable system used for performing image imposition.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, the increasing multifunctionality of electrophotographic image forming apparatuses (e.g., copying machine, printer) has been remarkable. Further, there are also various functions relating to image forming apparatus output modes. An image forming apparatus can print in a format by using these functions based on an instruction from a user.
However, whether such functions are included in the image forming apparatus depends on each apparatus. Therefore, when the user instructs printing, a print setting such as imposition has to be performed while considering the functions of the output destination image forming apparatus. To resolve this situation, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-272632 discusses a technique in which when the print setting set by the user is a setting that cannot be realized by the output destination image forming apparatus, first, an information processing apparatus acquires the functions of that image forming apparatus. Then, based on the acquired functions of the image forming apparatus, the information processing apparatus displays the print setting, which can be executed thereby and is as close as possible to the print setting set by the user.
On the other hand, from perspectives such as security and total cost of ownership (TCO), image forming apparatuses which restrict at least some functions on a per-user basis have become conspicuous. In such an image forming apparatus, first, several roles in which setting information is set on a per-function basis are prepared, and the user is assigned to a role. When the user logs in to the image forming apparatus, access control information based on the assigned role is issued, so that the various functions are utilized according to the function restrictions based on the access control information.
Further, as a function to be restricted, for example, an imposition setting can be restricted so that “printing is prohibited unless 2-in-1 or greater”. Although image imposition processing is usually controlled by a printer driver, some applications can generate an aggregate image of N-in-1 (N being an integer of 2 or more) by themselves, and transfer that image as a 1-in-1 image to the printer driver.
In such a case, in the above-described environment in which an imposition setting is restricted, even though the user instructed 2-in-1 printing, the printer driver regards the data of the 2-in-1 aggregate image transferred from the application as a 1-in-1 image. Therefore, the printer driver converts the whole of the 2-in-1 aggregate image into a 2-in-1 image as data of one logical page. Consequently, printing cannot be performed correctly.
To overcome such a situation, there is a technique in which the user is identified, and based on the situation, an authority is flexibly raised. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-021245 discusses a technique in which, during printing, processing authority is given as an exception by attaching approval information (a signature) of an approver to the target data, and acquiring restriction information based on information about the approved user which is included in the approval information.